Summer
by The Clockwork Narrator
Summary: Summer marks the beginning of change, in season and in life. Scout discovers the changes in feelings of her family, her friends and herself. Set 4 years after the novel. Scout X Dill, Jem X OC, Atticus X Miss Maudie
1. Chapter 1

**This is my VERY FIRST ONE SHOT EVER. I AM NOT KIDDING. I chose to kill a mockingbird because I took it up for Literature and well…I got inspired. This is sort of an epilogue from the book. Enjoy! **

**~~//~~**

**Summer Again**

**~~//~~**

It's been 4 years since the Boo Radley and Tom Robinson incident faded into oblivion and Maycomb hasn't changed a bit. But I know deep inside, we've all changed.

Jem was a sophomore and I was in the 7th grade. I always asked Jem how high school life was and he only replied with an "It's complicated, Scout."

I noticed that we were both changed drastically in the way we look. Jem was getting tall and slightly muscular and his voice became much lower than before. He had also developed a strange way of thinking. I'd always overhear him talking with Atticus about love and life. It was very strange. The perks of being a 16 year old, I guess.

As for me, I thought I was mutating. Suddenly, my front looked bigger and hair was sprouting everywhere on my body. I once found myself bleeding in the strangest of places. I ran to Calpurnia and told her to help me, I was turning into a monster. Calpurnia told me it was normal and that she'd gone through that stage.

It was summer again. I burst out of the school doors, feeling glad that school was finally over. I pulled Jem to come home with me as I saw him leave the school, not before watching him make eyes at Abigail.

Abigail was a girl in Jem's class that happened to catch his attention. She looked like God sent her down from heaven. Her white blonde hair hung around her shoulders like a halo and her face shone like the sun. Her bright blue eyes stood out from her features and were the first things a person would see when they would look at her.

According to Jem, she was the most perfect being in the whole world.

"Jem, come on!" I told him, pulling his sleeve.

"Alright, alright!" he said irritably. He looked at Abigail and smiled. "See you."

"Bye," she said waving at him. I finally got Jem to move and we were heading home.

"I don't see why you had to be so rude, Scout," said Jem "I was having a decent conversation with her."

"Conversation?" I said sneering "You were basically staring at her! Admit it already!" I punched him in the shoulder.

"Alright," said Jem, rubbing his shoulder "I'll admit that she's a nice girl and I like talking to her. Happy?" I rolled my eyes.

"I wonder how Atticus would react?" I asked him, smirking.

"Grow up, Scout," replied Jem and he walked ahead of me. I looked thoughtfully at his retreating figure. Though I liked teasing him with Abigail, I still couldn't understand why he was suddenly so attached to a girl he just met in school.

~~//~~

We all sat in the living room after dinner. Atticus was reading the paper and Jem and I were watching some cheesy black and white romantic soap opera on TV. I scrunched my nose up at it and expected Jem to do the same, but Jem just stared curiously at the couple kissing before his eyes.

"You're actually interested in this?" I questioned him.

"N-no!" said Jem looking away from the TV.

"I bet you're going to practice kissing Abigail, now aren't you?" I said tauntingly. Jem's ears turned pink and he nearly ran out of the room. I laughed silently.

"Scout, you shouldn't do that," said Atticus sternly from behind his newspaper. I looked at him.

"But it's true!" I protested. Atticus shook his head.

"You're embarrassing him," he said. I looked down in shame.

"I was just having a little fun," I muttered. Atticus folded up his newspaper and gestured me to his side. I was too big to sit on his lap. He put an arm around me and I leaned on his shoulder.

"You have to understand that Jem is growing up," explained Atticus "These feelings that he has are all a part of his growing up."

"I don't get it Atticus," I said "Jem never liked girls before…"

"He's just growing up," said Atticus "I bet he's still getting used it until now. You're going to experience it to, Scout." I frowned.

"Why?" I demanded. I didn't like the idea of liking boys.

"You'll have to eventually," said Atticus "It's the way of life I'm afraid. We all experience love one day in our life." I thought deeply.

"Will you experience it again Atticus?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I don't know Scout," he said thoughtfully "I'm too old to experience it again."

"What about Miss Maudie?" I asked him "Has she ever experienced it before?"

"I don't know, Scout," he said "I wouldn't know. It's a private matter." I grinned suddenly.

"I wonder what would happen if you fell in love with Miss Maudie," I said. I thought I received a different reaction to my joke for I suddenly felt Atticus stiffen beside me. I looked up at him. He looked slightly embarrassed.

"Well…um…it's time you went to bed," he said hurriedly. He brought me to my room and tucked me in. I felt a slight detachment when he kissed me goodnight and turned off the light.

Still wide-awake, I decided to write to Dill. He missed 4 summers in a row with us and I began to miss him terribly. With Jem and his teen-age problems and Atticus and his work, I was alone and Dill was the only one who would keep me company.

The last time he wrote to me, he said he was going to be sent to military school and might not answer back any letters. He said he'll try his best.

I thought this was another one of his made-up stories, but whatever letter I sent him would be left unanswered and once again, I felt alone.

Now and then, these feelings would disappear, but once I see Dill's face on a photograph at home, the feelings would come rushing back in.

I stared at the blank sheet of paper I was supposed to write the letter in. I decided against it and went back to bed. He won't reply to me anyway. I knew this summer would be another lonely one.

I was wrong.

It was at the morning of the next day when a young boy of 13 knocked on our front door. I answered it and gaped at him.

It was Dill.

He changed a lot. He was slightly built and he grew a lot since the last time I saw him. His blue eyes shone much brighter than before and his hair was much shorter than before. He was no longer the small boy I once knew. He was now a stranger to me.

"Hey Scout," he greeted me with a smile. It was then that I recognized him and I lunged at him. We both fell to the ground and I began to throw my fists at him.

"What's wrong with you?!" he cried trying to dodge my blows, but I continued hitting him. His voice was a bit lower than before.

"Why didn't you answer my letters?!" I demanded "Why did you miss summer?!" It was many minutes before Jem pulled me away from Dill.

"What is the matter with you?" scolded Jem "He just came back from military camp and you treat him like that?" I looked back at Dill, who was getting back on his feet. His eye was beginning to blacken.

"Y-you weren't lying?" I asked Dill, feeling embarrassed.

"Why would I lie about military camp?" he asked.

"Because you lie about everything else…" I muttered. Dill just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not 9 anymore, Scout," he said. I didn't look at him anymore. I didn't want to feel embarrassed.

"Oh Dill," said Atticus as he went out the front door to go to work "Long time no see. How've you been?"

"Very well, sir," said Dill. His manners improved. I was amazed.

"That military camp did you justice, didn't it?" asked Atticus.

"Yes sir," said Dill, standing straight.

"Well then," said Atticus performing a mock salute "See you later, kids." With that, he left for work.

"They taught you how to stand up straight there?" asked Jem.

"Of course," said Dill "If you slouched, they'd slap your back with a whip until you get it straight." Both Jem and I touched our backs instinctively.

We invited him over for breakfast and he told us his life in the camp. He had to run tiring courses every single day without rest, even in the rain. He had gotten sick a couple of times, but that was no excuse for not running a course. He said it was standard procedure to chop his hair short because that's how they wanted it.

"Aren't you a bit young for military camp?" asked Jem.

"I went to the one for 10 to 12 year olds," said Dill "I'm going to graduate to the higher military camp this year. They say the one I was in is nothing compared to the one I'm going to." He looked scared for a moment. I couldn't think of a reason why he shouldn't be.

He claimed that his father sent him there after he ran away to us 4 years ago. He wanted to end his son's rebellious ways.

The whole time Dill was talking, I paid no attention to him. I was staring at his face the entire time. I watched his blue eyes brighten and darken like when he was younger, but it seemed more attractive to me. He didn't look like a child anymore, but his new face seemed handsomer than before. And I liked the way he smiled and laughed when he told the story. I couldn't help but smile as well.

"Scout?" said Jem, breaking my daydream. I looked at him, startled. He and Dill were looking at me curiously.

'W-what?" I asked.

"What were you staring at?" asked Dill. I couldn't bear to tell him that he was exactly the person I was staring at. I looked away.

"N-nothing," I murmured. I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

~~//~~

We sat on the porch, waiting for Atticus. We watched the sun turn into a bright orange glow before setting behind the houses. The sky switched from orange to pink.

We saw Atticus coming down the street. We were about to stand up when he turned and went to Miss Maudie's. He greeted her as she was tending her flowerbed and she smiled back at him in return, her cheeks slightly pink.

"What's he doing over at Miss Maudie's house?" I asked.

"Dunno," said Jem "I've seen him go over there an awful lot."

"Maybe he likes her," said Dill shrugging. I gave him a look and punched his shoulder.

"Ow! It's possible!" protested Dill, rubbing his shoulder.

"He's right you know," said Jem "You're never too old to fall in love again."

"But Atticus told me he was!" I said. Jem never answered me. Something caught his eye.

Abigail was walking down the sidewalk in front of our house, her long hair moving from side to side as if it had a mind of its own. She walked like a princess, looking like she owned the street. Jem stared at her with awe.

She caught his gaze and waved her fingers at him. He smiled goofily back at her, obviously starstruck. When she left, I guffawed.

"Jem you look so ridiculous!" I said laughing so hard my stomach began to hurt. Jem hit me on the side.

"Shut up!" he snapped, his ears and cheeks as red as a beet.

"Who was that?" asked Dill.

"Jem's girlfriend," I said mockingly. Jem's face flushed a deep red and he stormed back in the house.

"He won't admit it," I explained "It's nothing embarrassing though. Atticus said it was normal."

"Well," said Dill "It's pretty embarrassing when someone points it out." I began to feel ashamed again.

"But yeah," said Dill agreeing with me "It's time he fesses up. It's becoming real obvious." We were quiet for a few minutes. I suddenly remembered something from out past.

"Hey Dill," I said.

"Yeah?" he replied.

'Do you remember the time you said I was the only girl you would ever love?" I asked him, smiling. His cheeks turned slightly pink.

"That was ages ago, Scout," he said laughing.

"You used to tell me that all the time," I reminded him laughing as well "You even proposed to me!"

"Wow," said Dill shaking his head "What was I thinking back then?"

"You've stopped doing it," I commented. Dill looked at the distance thoughtfully.

"Guess I grew out of it," he said "I can't always be 9 forever." He got up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Well, I better go. It's getting late."

He was right. The sun was gone. In its place was a slowly whitening moon upon a darkening sky. He waved goodbye at me and left to go home.

Suddenly I wished he were still beside me smiling and talking to me. My heart suddenly began to ache.

~~//~~

The next morning, after breakfast, I decided to pay a visit to Atticus in his room. I found him reading yet another book in his armchair. He looked so deep in his book that no one would be able to distract him, not even a fly.

I looked around curiously at the room. Everything seemed normal to me, nothing very interesting.

Except for a small black box on the table beside his bed.

I picked it up and examined it. It was a wedding ring box. What would Atticus be doing with a wedding ring box?

"What's this, Atticus?" I asked him.

"Oh that's nothing," he said "I just found it when I was cleaning out the unnecessary objects in my drawer." His answer seemed suspicious, like he made it up at the last minute.

I put the box down and went out of the room. I could swear I saw his shoulders rise and fall, like he sighed with relief. I decided to go for a walk outside.

I walked a few blocks away from the house admiring the trees and the little birds flying over my head. My legs soon began to tire and I decided to take a nap behind a tree.

I went to the first oak tree I saw in a tiny park near my school. I sat down and leaned against it. I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep.

But I could've slept longer, if not for the strange sounds I heard behind the tree. After many failed attempts of trying to go back to sleep, I decided to confront the sound maker. It was probably Cecil Jacobs, sniggering with his odd laugh, trying to scare me again.

I looked behind the tree and nearly jumped out of my skin. The people making the noise were Jem and Abigail. But that wasn't it.

They were kissing.

Jem's face was so pressed onto Abigail's that I could hardly see the rest of her features. They were entwined tightly together, Abigail's fingers running through Jem's hair, Jem's arms pulling her closer.

I nearly threw up right then and there. My brother?! KISSING A GIRL?! I was horrified, mortified, terrified for my life. I tried to run, but I stupidly stepped on a twig, snapping it loudly.

The two broke a part and looked for the source of the noise. They saw me. Jem's eyes widened and his face turned an awful red. I ran away as fast as I could.

"COME BACK HERE SCOUT!!!!" he yelled after me. I heard his footsteps chasing after me and I knew if I went home now, Atticus wouldn't be there to stop him from finding me and choking the life out of me.

So I made my way to the only place he wouldn't find me. The Radley Place.

I went through the back gate and to the back porch, hiding in the shadows. I heard his footsteps stop on the road. He was probably scanning the houses, looking for me. I carefully placed a foot on the porch. It squeaked loudly. I held my breath.

Hearing no movement, I placed my other foot on the next step. It squeaked as loudly as the first step. I stood still.

Then I heard feet moving from the pavement to the grass. I was panicking internally. In a few seconds, I would die from oxygen loss all because I stumbled upon Jem kissing a girl.

Suddenly, the back door opened and a pale, thin hand beckoned me in. Seeing Jem's shadow growing longer on the grass, I wasted no time and bolted into the house, shutting the door tightly behind me.

~~//~~

**So. This was initially supposed to be a one shot, but it got too long. So I'm only making it two chapters instead :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**I didn't intend for this story to be a two-shot, but here's the second chapter! Hope you like it :D**

**~~//~~**

**Part Deux**

**~~//~~**

As I closed the door behind me, I saw nothing but darkness. It took a while before my eyes adjusted to the gloom and I was able to make out my surroundings.

"Mr. Arthur?" I called out "Are you here?" I could've sworn he called me into the house.

I walked cautiously foreward and secretly hoped that Mr. Nathan wasn't here. If he was, then I would've been dead faster than if Jem had caught up to me. But no one seemed to be here…

"Hello Scout," said a voice hardly louder than a whisper, but enough to make me jump 50 feet into the air. I spun around and saw Boo, his pale skin making him stand out against the dark.

"Oh, hi Mr. Arthur," I said, trying to catch my breath "You scared me back there."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Boo said timidly "What are you running from?"

"My brother," I said "I caught him kissing a girl a while back and now he's trying to kill me." Boo looked surprised.

"Why would he want to kill you?" he asked.

"To erase the evidence I guess," I said shrugging. He then invited me to sit in the living room and have a drink of warm milk with him.

The living room looked older than Atticus. Almost all of the sofas looked worn out and shabby, there were patches and holes on the curtains, the furniture was collecting dust and cobwebs…

But I was completely fine with it.

"So," I said as Boo sat on the couch opposite me "How have you been?"

"Better," replied Boo sipping his milk "At least the neighborhood doesn't talk about me like they used to. I've been noticing some odd things though."

"What kind of things?" I asked him. He ran a finger around the rim of his mug thoughfully.

"Atticus has been visiting Maudie Atkinson's lately," he said. I sipped my milk.

"Yeah," I said wiping my mouth "I've been noticing that too."

"I once saw him bring her flowers," admitted Boo "And he helped her with the garden once." I laughed.

"Wow, Mr. Arthur," I said "You really can see everything from your front porch." Boo's cheeks became bright red. I realized that I embarrassed him and decided to hold my tongue for a while. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Today, though," said Boo after a while. I looked up from my mug. "He came to her house with a tiny box in his hand." The mug nearly slipped through my fingers.

"W-what?!" I sputtered.

"Yes," said Boo "The box looked like it was made of velvet. Like a wedding ring box…" I gripped my mug tightly, trying to figure out why my father would want to give Ms. Maudie an empty ring box.

Unless….the box wasn't empty at all…

"You don't think…he's gonna…" I couldn't finish my sentence. Boo looked at a window on the opposite side of the room.

"I haven't seen or heard anything…" said Boo. I put down my mug and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the window.

"Does this window look out to Ms. Maudie's??" I demanded. Boo looked surprised.

"I'm not sure," he said. I looked through it and saw that it did look out to her house, but just to her living room. The curtain was open and I could see everything inside.

I could even see Atticus and Ms. Maudie.

They were getting up from a long conversation and Atticus was about to depart. But I saw his lips move and Ms. Maudie looked stunned. I saw him hold both of her hands tightly and his eyes locked with hers, his lips still moving. Ms. Maudie still looked stunned and slightly confused. I had my eyes locked on both of them.

"What's happening?" asked Boo, but I shushed him, focusing at the scene before me.

I saw Atticus kneel down and pull out the box from his pocket. He opened it before her, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. My mouth opened in shock. I couldn't believe what was happening.

Ms. Maudie started to cry and they embraced tightly. I shrank back into the gloom, thanking God that they didn't notice me the whole time. Boo followed me to the living room.

"I can't believe he did it," I said, my voice faltering "I can't believe he proposed to Ms. Maudie." Boo sat beside me.

"You're never too old to love, I suppose," he said thoughtfully.

I still couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that Ms. Maudie was going to be my stepmother. For years, she has always been my friend and now she was going to be part of our family.

Well, I had to admit, I felt she already was part of the family. Everyone else thought so too. I knew she and Atticus were friendly, but not to this extent. Everything just happened so fast…

"Well," said Boo putting a light hand on my shoulder "I think it's time you went home."

"Yeah," I said softly. I smiled "Thanks for letting me stay here, Mr. Arthur." I went to the door and ran straight home, not waiting to see if Mr. Nathan came home.

I cautiously stepped into the house, observing my surroundings. Fortunately, there was no Jem to be seen. I was more or less safe.

"There you are, you little runt!" snarled a voice behind me. I turned around and saw Jem, his face vicious.

"I didn't mean it! Honest!!" I protested. He was about to lunge at me when the front door opened.

"What's going on here?" said Atticus. I sighed with relief. At least he was here to save me.

"Scout was spying on me!" said Jem pointing a finger at me.

"He's just upset 'cause I accidentally saw him kissing Abigail," I said, defending myself. Jem's ears turned bloody red.

"You had no right to see that!" he said indignantly.

"I was just minding my own business until I heard you two making weird noises!" I said just as angrily.

"Jem, enough," said Atticus, ending the fight once and for all "It was nothing more than an accident. Now, apologize, the both of you."

"Wait, why do I have to apologize?" I demanded. Jem was the one who started it after all.

"For embarrassing your brother," said Atticus "Now do it." We both muttered apologies under our breaths.

"Oh, before I forget," said Atticus "Ms. Maudie's coming over for dinner tomorrow. We have a very important announcement to make."

"What kind of announcement?" asked Jem.

"You'll see," said Atticus and he left us, somewhat happier than before. Jem shot a glare in my direction and retired to his room.

I was left alone.

~~//~~

Jem seemed to have forgotten the events that had transpired the day before. He became a lot nicer to me, probably because being with Abigail is erasing all the negative feelings in his body.

But I was still a loner. Atticus took long at work that day and even longer at Miss Maudie's. I hardly saw Jem anymore and I never even caught a glimpse of Dill these past few days.

Dill…

I don't know why, but whenever I think of Dill, I always feel a sharp pain in my chest. I missed him terribly. I wanted him to talk to me, to laugh with me, to share stories and ideas like we always had.

I wanted him to be with me.

And every time I felt this, I wondered how I could miss a person so much. I couldn't possibly miss Dill this much.

But Dill was different. Every time I saw him, I felt different. Whenever I think of him, I feel different. His face made me smile, even on the darkest of days.

But now, without him, the world seemed gray. I was alone, and I wanted his company bad. I didn't know when I would see him again. I felt rather empty without him.

The day faded quickly into night. The moon was a gigantic flashlight in the sky, surrounded by billions of twinkling stars. It was a pretty sight, but it made no difference to me.

As promised, Miss Maudie sat with us for dinner. She and Atticus looked extremely happy chatting with one another. Jem also had company over for dinner as well. He and Abigail exchanged so much sickly sweet glances at each other I couldn't help but throw up a little in my mouth.

Seeing these people made me feel even worse. They had people beside them, talking to them and just simply being with them. I was alone.

"We have an important announcement we would like to share with you," said Atticus as I picked at my food, my appetite suddenly gone.

"What is it Atticus?" asked Jem. Atticus took Miss Maudies hands. She smiled sweetly at him.

"We're getting married," he said. Jem let his fork clatter on his plate. Abigail clapped her hands with joy. I continued to pick at my food.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Jem "I can't believe it!!" I couldn't tell whether the tone he used was happy or not.

"Congratulations, Mr. Finch!" said Abigail.

"So, no contradictions?" asked Atticus.

"None at all!" said Jem, hugging Miss Maudie "I've already considered Miss Maudie a part of the family!"

"Scout?" asked Atticus. I didn't make eye contact with him. I really, really didn't want to be here right now.

"Excuse me," I muttered, getting up from the table and heading for the living room. I heard Atticus call my name again, but I didn't listen.

I sat on the couch and hugged my knees. I didn't know what to feel anymore. I stared at the fire blazing in the fireplace, feeling the warmth on my face. It was then that I felt someone sit beside me.

"Atticus, I don't—" I said before facing the person who was actually beside me. It was Miss Maudie.

"Oh, hi Miss Maudie," I said and looked back at the fire. She stroked my hair.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" she asked.

"It's not that I'm not happy that you're getting married to Atticus, Miss Maudie," I said still looking at the fire "I really am happy."

"You don't sound very happy," she said, still stroking my hair.

"It's not because of you Miss Maudie," I muttered.

"Then what is it?" she asked. I finally looked at her. Her eyes were full of understanding. I took a deep breath.

"Have you ever missed someone so much you felt your heart was about to rip in two?" I asked. Miss Maudie at the fire in thought.

"Yes, yes I have," she said "And I know it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world, but you have to understand." She looked at me again and stroked my head "Some people can't be around all the time."

I looked down at the ground, tears forming in my eyes. But Dill was here, why couldn't he come and see me?

"I've been waiting," I said softly "I've been waiting for 4 summers for Dill." The tears were spilling now. "And now that he's here, he won't even come and see me." Miss Maudie pulled me closer to her. My head rested under her chin.

"He will come, child," she said "He will."

"He hasn't," I protested.

"But he will," said Miss Maudie "Patience is always the key. Just wait. He will come."

"I don't think I can wait any longer," I said "I want to see him."

"And you will," she said "Just wait a little bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if he just popped in here tonight just to see you." I looked at her hopefully.

"You think so?" I asked.

"I hope so," she said. I smiled at her through my tear stained face. I was glad she was going to be part of our family soon.

~~//~~

I tried waiting for Dill as I lay awake in bed. I followed Miss Maudie's advice and waited for him. I hoped with all my heart he would appear.

Minutes passed. Hours passed. Not even his shadow appeared in my room. I gave up hope and tried to sleep.

Suddenly, I heard silent footsteps on the wooden floor and I was clearly aware that something was beside me. I reached for the light.

"Don't turn it on," whispered a voice. My heart leapt inside me. Could it be?

I turned around and let my eyes adjust to the figure sitting beside me in bed. As its features became clearer, that tiny bit of hope inside me grew bigger.

It was Dill.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to contain my joy. I didn't that he's sitting right beside me. I was just glad he was there.

"I came to visit you," he said. I suddenly became indignant.

"Oh so now you visit me," I said angrily "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to come here?"

"It wasn't easy Scout," he said defending himself "As soon as I got here, Miss Rachel took me to the different towns in Alabama, visiting relatives I had no idea about. And all that my relatives talked about with me was my being a solider in training. They said it was a first in my blood line."

"Lies," I said angrily. Dill was taken aback.

"Why would you think it's a lie?" he asked.

"Because you lie about everything else!" I snapped. We were silent for a while.

"I'm not 9 anymore Scout," he said. Suddenly, this conversation was becoming familiar. "You don't know how much I wanted to see you. I've been trying. I wanted to see you one last time before I go."

I looked at him in confusion. "Before you go?" I asked. Dill looked at the ground sadly.

"I'm leaving for camp tomorrow," he muttered softly. My heart sank. I felt the tears coming again.

"And you decided to visit me the night before you leave?!" I cried. He put a hand to my mouth.

"Shh!" he said "Your family's still asleep!" I shoved his hand away.

"I don't care!" I snapped "I've been waiting for you Dill. I've been waiting to spend one summer, one whole summer, with you, just as we've always had. And now that you're here, you're telling me that you're leaving tomorrow?!" I was completely aware of the tears running freely down my face.

"I didn't want it to be this way Scout," he said softly, his eyes still downcast "I never wanted to go to military camp. All I wanted was to stay here in Maycomb with you. That's what I was waiting for the whole time."

"Then why didn't you try visiting me before?" I asked, still bitter.

"I was being brought miles away from you, Scout," he said "I hated it. I didn't even get a chance to say good-bye. I never even wanted to leave your side, not even once. " He looked at me, his eyes burning a deep hole into mine.

"I care about you too much," he whispered. I was speechless.

"Dill I—" I began when his lips touched mine and I felt a strange fire burning inside me. This was the strangest feeling in the world, the strangest feeling I've ever felt in my entire life.

But I loved it.

I didn't have the strength to push him away. It took many minutes before he decided to let me breathe.

"What—what was that?" I asked catching my breath.

"I've always wanted to do that," he said shrugging.

"You've kissed me before," I said.

"I was a child, Scout," he said smiling "I'm 13. I've grown up. And I've been feeling things I've never felt before." I smiled back at him.

"Me too," I said. I patted the space beside me. "Why don't you sleep beside me? Just like we did when you snuck into my house 4 years ago." He grinned and crawled in next to me. I pulled the blankets over the both of us.

"People would think this is awkward," he said.

"Do you?" I asked.

"No," he said smiling.

"Why not?" I asked, curious.

"Because I like being with you, Scout," he said "I feel more than comfortable when you're with me." I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Please stay," I whispered. He leaned his head on mine.

"I wish I could," he said.

"Just stay," I said "Stay until Atticus's wedding." Dill looked at me in surprise.

"Atticus's wedding?" he asked.

"Atticus is getting married to Miss Maudie," I said "Sorry, I forgot to tell you." Dill rested his head on mine again.

"That's a first," he said "Then again, they act like husband and wife, don't they?" I chuckled and nudged him lightly.

'So," I said looking at him hopefully "Will you stay?" He looked right at me and smiled.

"I'll stay," he said.

"Really?" I said, smiling.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. I put an arm around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," I said. We lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"I wonder what it would be like to get married," Dill asked after a while. I laughed.

"What are you saying?" I said.

"Think about it," he said "What would it be like if we got married?" I shook my head slightly.

"We're just kids, Dill," I said "We shouldn't be thinking of these things." Although, I knew deep inside we weren't kids anymore.

"I know," said Dill laughing softly. He took my hand and held it tight.

"Miss Jean Lousie Finch," he said staring at my eyes "Will you marry me?" I immediately broke into a smile.

"Yes, Charles Baker Harris, I will," I said. We both began to laugh, our laughter the only noise heard in the night

And suddenly, we felt 4 years younger.

~~//~~

It was the day of the wedding. It wasn't a large wedding, though. It was very simple, yet very beautiful. From the dresses to the decorations, everything was perfect. I've never been a bridesmaid in my entire life, but I didn't feel nervous walking down the aisle. From here, I saw everyone: Mr. Cunningham, Ms. Stephanie Crawford, Ms. Rachel, Mr. Nathan Radley, Calpurnia, even Boo was present.

I saw Atticus at the end of the aisle. I've never seen a happier man in my life. I looked behind me and saw and even happier woman walking behind me. I saw Jem sitting with Abigail watching as the bride crossed the aisle.

And I saw Dill. He was sitting down, waiting for me. I was so glad he convinced the camp counselor to let him stay a month or two before going back. I sat beside him and watched the ceremony.

I watched as Atticus and Miss Maudie exchange wedding vows and officially become husband and wife. I was glad we all had someone. Atticus and Miss Maudie had each other. Jem and Abigail had each other.

And as I looked at Dill, I knew I had him. I wasn't alone anymore.


End file.
